Electric contact device.



C. W. COLEMAN, DECD.

x. COLEMAN, ADMINISTRATRIX. ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED sBPT.1o, 1910.v RBNBWBD 1320.19, 1911.

1,024,71 9. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE w. COLEMAN, or WESTEIELD, NEW JERSEY; KATHAEINE COLEMAN,

ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

y Application led September 10, 1910, Serial No. 581,409. Renewed December 19, 1911. Serial No. 666,846.

ldevices are put, the safety of life and property depends upon the reliability of their operation, as in railway signaling systems,

in which their failure to open or close the circuitat the proper time may result in giv- -ing a wrong signal indication. In such uses the movable contact closer is under the automatic lcontrol of a relay magnet, and after continued use the cooperating parts tend to become loosened and disarranged with the consequent failure to properly perform their o function.

One object of my invent-ion isto provide simple and effective means for securing the c operating Contact stops in their support and locking them against becoming accidentally loosened. Y

iOther objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description.

I shall now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and shall thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure l-is a side elevation of a relay containing an embodiment of my invention, the side of the casing being removed. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail side and end views, respectively, of the contact-post screw. Fig. 4 is a detail face View of the lock washer used on the contact-post screw.v Fig. 5.is a similar v View of the washer ring used on the contactpost screw.-

The drawings show a relay adapted for electric railway signaling circuits, having a relay magnet 2 withl pole pieces 13, of which one only is seen. A The armature l is pivoted on trunnion pins 16. LThe pivot or hinge construction forms the subjectof a division of this application, Serial Number 605,381, filed January 18. 1911. and therefore 1s not fully shown and will not be particularly described Movable contact closers, side by side, of which only the front one is seen, are carried by the armature, and each vContact closer coperates with a front stop and a back stop. The front contact stops are held 1n a support consisting of the upper base 3 of the relay casing in such a manner as to be securely locked against accidental loosening, and the means for thus securing these stops in the base will now be described. Each Contact stop consists of a contact-post member or screw 4 of brass or otherfsuitable material, which has a lower part with a flat surface or surfaces, shown as ofhexagonal form, to facilitate the application of a wrench, and has the usual carbon contact 5 at its lower end. The upper part Aof the contact-post screw 4 is of reduced diameter and is screw-threaded, and an upper locking member or nut 4 of hexagonal or other noncircular or locking shape, is threaded on it and fits into a locking recess of corresponding shape on the upper side of the basek, thereby being held against rotation. It is apparent, therefore, that when the nut 4 is in its locking recess it can become unscrewed only through the rotation of the screw 4. The `means for preventing rotation of the screw will now be described.

The lower hexagonal portion of the screw 4 has near its upper end an annular circumferential groove 6 which leaves a hexagonal collar portion 7 between the groove and the shoulder formed at the screw-threaded part of reduced diameter. A lower locking member or lock washer 8, of square or other locking shape, has a hexagonal hole therein so that it will freely slide longitudinally over the hexagonal part of the screw 4 and may be moved upward to embrace the collar portion 7 of the screw 4 and t into a locking recess in the under side of the base 3, which is shaped to correspondwith the external configuration of the lock washer 8 and as shown is a square recess. So long as the lock washer is on the hexagonal part of the screw 4 and in its recess in the base 3 of the relay, the screw is locked against rotation. To hold the lock washer in place on the collar 7, a locking ring 9 is provided. This ring is split and is made of some resilient metal, preferably brass wire, and is sprung into the groove 6 and locks the lock washer in place.

'side of the bese To lock ay Contact stop or post in place, theser'ew is inserted upward through a bore Aeofnununieating with the recesses in the up- 'per and lower sides of the base 3, which bore is of the diameter oi the reduced portion of the screw, and tbe nut tif is sere-wed on and inserted in its recess and the screw' is turned until .it is drown up with tbe eollar 7 tightly against the bottoni of the recess in the lower The lot-k Washer 8 is then put on and the looking' ring 9 is Sprung in place, and by holding the loc-l Washer in its ooui'iterpart recess, eeetuelly prevents rot-ation of the yContact stop. The parts are teken oit" in reverse order, the locking' ring being first sprung out of its groove 6 by any suitable implen'lent, the look Washer then readily dropping down out of its rec end. 'the post being` now free to be u' :roofed out oi its t it ,vili be noted that they cannot be i. in suv other menne uoe both the utely locked.

soi-erY and its nut are av rotoltiou so long :is the, look washer Hach movable Contact closer eonssts of the usual Contact ringer-s l() carrying a back-- -cont-ziet Closer 1]'. and :i froiitconteot closer l2, Wnioli is of 'the improved .'forinnow used by The' VHell Signal Company and in vented by Thomas L. Lee, J r., and .'i'orining the subject of bis application, Sockel Nimber 569,425, filed fune Q9, 1910. The 'tro t Contact is closed Wien the magnet 2 is eneigized .and the urine-ture which carries the Contact nffers l() attracted and tliebeolr Contact is closed when the armature. is releasedl and tells by gravity, in these per# tioulars operating in 'the usuel Wiz-y.

It is obvious that various modioatious may be mede in tlie construction shown and above particularly described. Within the prim oiple and scope of my invention. f

l claim:

l. A Contact stop eomprisinfr, in combinetion. Witli e support having looking portions on opposite sides and. bin/ing e bore therethrough, n. oontaet-post member extending throughthe bore, :i looking member on they contact-post member releasable by relative rotation between the two members and engaging the looking portion on one side or'- the sup-port, and a second loeking'meinber on 'tbe oontaoupost member engaging the locking portion on 'tbe other side of the support and releasable by longitudinal inovement. relatively to the contact-post member and lookin@ the contact-post member against rotation.,

2. A Contact stop comprising, in combinetion with e support lieving looking reo in opposite sides thereof and having o, bore therethrough communicating with. the iooinm recesses.. e Contact ost member extendthe lookin# recesses e contact-'oost screw e b 5 1 ing through the bore, a looking member on the Contact post member releeseble byrelof tive rotatio, between the two .members and enge-ging in onelocking recess in the support, .e second loekin' member `on the Contoet-post n :oer ei aging in the other looking recess in. the Huppert ard. eleeseble 7G by longitudinal i oveiuen't rel; r to 'the )er and 1 .r against rom 51, and ineens for looki the second ineniiber ou the f eonteot-post me oer. 'V

A. Contact stop oonijprisii' iii eoniirinffz tion With e supportlieving rec s of lomo ing shape in opposite sides thereof and. bem inge bore therethrough Communicating *with contact-post r. teet-post non tending through the bore, n, looking' :out o1. the Contact-post screw e'i'ig'eging in one toetingl recess in the support, o, second looking member on the Contacter in the other looking 'i y:ind relesseole by `i igitudinsl .roos in relatively to the o tot oos'f in t y slippenJ and loading; tbe "ontztot 'post s" e' against rotation, a Loi detachable' resilient ring; for -lool; he second member the coutent-post seiew. o

A Contact stop Comprisino" tion with e. sr ipo' t nei/*ing loe on. oppo t....ereot and i" combiner o ormone o lo f by remo t mein ners end portion on the sup port, ng member, e. loja Washer on the (5o-rily tuotpost member e; omging the other lool;- ii'igg portion on. the iport, and u. resilient ring adapted to loot.. 1e look Wesl'ier the Contact-post member.

Contact stop comprising, in ooinbiniztion with e support having recesses of lookinger shape in opposite sides thereof and e, bore therethrough Communicating withv the two recesses, oonteebpost sorew extending tlir ugh the bore and beving one projecting end serewtlireaded and e non-cireuler portionon l the other end and. a circumferential groove interrupting suebv non-cireuier porn tion, e nut of lockingsbape on the screw threaded end of the Contact post screw and engaging in one recess, e iook Washer ontbe ,norrcirouler portion orm the screw and en- 'geging in the other recess, and e resilient ring encircling the groove of the screw and looking theloel Washer in position.v

In testimony whereof l". have atixed my signature in presence of tivo Witnesses.

OLREI Vf. CQLEMAN. vWitnessest Vieron lonsr, Brennero' Soweit, 

